- Created on
- 15 July 2026
- Theme
- EU4Algae
Published on 15 July 2026
Organised under EU4Algae, the webinar highlighted how standards contribute to improving quality, consistency, sustainability and market confidence across the algae value chain. The discussions explored ongoing European Commission initiatives, the development of European and international standards, and the role of standardisation in supporting innovation and the growth of Europe's algae sector.
Why Standards Matter for the Algae Sector
Standards play an essential role in creating a common framework for emerging industries. For the algae sector, they provide harmonised terminology, methodologies and quality requirements that support legislation, facilitate market uptake and help build trust across the algae value chain.
The webinar highlighted that standardisation is increasingly recognised as a strategic priority within European policy. Both the EU Algae Initiative and the Strategic Guidelines for a More Sustainable and Competitive EU Aquaculture (2021–2030) identify standards as an important enabler for developing a competitive and sustainable algae industry.
Participants also heard that, according to the 2026 EABA Industrial Committee survey, regulatory complexity and uncertainty remain the sector's main bottleneck, reinforcing the importance of developing clear and widely recognised standards.
European Standardisation: Supporting the Growth of the Algae Industry
The webinar outlined the European Commission's ongoing work to support algae standardisation as part of the EU Algae Initiative. Participants were also introduced to the European standardisation process, including the process through which standardisation requests are developed in collaboration with CEN, providing context for the subsequent discussions on European standards for the algae sector.
Lukasz Igor Bartoszewicz (DG MARE) presented the policy framework underpinning these efforts, highlighting the Commission's commitment to developing standard testing, quantification and extraction methods for algae ingredients and contaminants, alongside standards and certification methodologies for algae biofuels.
Participants also learned about the preparation of a new Commission Implementing Decision, led by DG MARE, which is intended to provide the framework for future European standardisation work. The proposed scope includes standards covering topics such as:
- naming and identification of commercial algae strains and varieties;
- verification of the geographical origin of algae biomass;
- quality criteria and labelling for algae-based food products;
- methods to measure and reduce iodine levels in seaweeds intended for food;
- methodologies for assessing resource use and environmental performance of algae farms; and
- the revision of the European algae vocabulary standard to reflect scientific, technological and regulatory developments.
The Commission indicated that adoption of the new framework is foreseen for late 2026 or early 2027, with the resulting standards expected to be developed over the following five years.
Understanding Standards Across the Bio-Based Economy
The webinar explored how existing European standards support the broader bio-based sector and their relevance for algae-based products.
Maria Gustafsson (CEN/TC 411) presented the work of the technical committee responsible for horizontal standards covering bio-based products and materials. These standards address areas including terminology, bio-based content, sustainability criteria, life cycle assessment (LCA) and communication, supporting the application of common approaches across bio-based products.
Ongoing revisions to communication standards were also highlighted, particularly to align them with new and upcoming EU legislation, including developments related to green claims.
European Standards for Algae
Suzanne de Jonge (CEN/TC 454) provided an overview of the development of European standards specifically dedicated to algae and algae products.
Participants were introduced to the work carried out by CEN/TC 454, which has developed standards covering terminology, identification methods, algae processing, sampling procedures, product specifications and analytical test methods.
The session demonstrated how European standards are structured and explained the practical purpose of several existing standards, including those covering algae vocabulary, the productivity of algae cultivation sites and methods for determining amino acid profiles. Together, these standards help improve consistency, comparability and reliability across the algae sector.
The presentation also encouraged stakeholders to contribute their expertise through national standardisation bodies, helping shape future European standards and support innovation across the industry.
Perspectives from Industry and Innovation
The webinar also examined how standards support innovation beyond regulatory frameworks.
Yuki Kabe (Braskem) discussed the role of private standards, explaining that although many are voluntary, some become so widely adopted that they effectively become mandatory in the marketplace. The presentation highlighted the growing influence of recognised private frameworks alongside public standards.
Elena Mocchio (UNI) explored the relationship between innovation and standardisation, demonstrating how standards help transfer research and innovation results to the market.
The session also highlighted opportunities for integrating standardisation activities into European research and innovation projects, including Horizon Europe and EISMEA-funded initiatives, through activities such as gap analyses, project liaisons with technical committees and the development of pre-normative documents.
International Developments in Algae Standardisation
The webinar concluded with an overview of international standardisation activities led by ISO/TC 234 Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Hongxia Li presented the committee's work on published and developing ISO standards relevant to algae, including standards addressing carbon footprints for macroalgae products, carbon fixation measurement methods and carbon footprint methodologies for photosynthetic microalgae.
These international standards aim to provide consistent methodologies for calculating carbon footprints, assessing carbon fixation and supporting comparable approaches across algae production systems. The presentation also highlighted ongoing work on additional standards covering carbon sequestration and monitoring methods for algae production systems.
Supporting a More Competitive and Sustainable Algae Sector
Throughout the webinar, speakers highlighted that standardisation supports regulatory clarity, product quality, environmental performance and innovation across the algae sector.
As the European algae sector continues to grow, collaboration between policymakers, standardisation bodies, researchers, industry and other stakeholders will remain essential to ensuring that standards evolve alongside scientific and technological progress.
By bringing together experts from across these fields, EU4Algae continues to foster knowledge exchange and support the development of a coherent and competitive European algae ecosystem.
Dive Deeper into the Discussions
Explore the full webinar presentation to learn more about the topics covered during the session.
Watch the Full Webinar
Catch up on the full "Standards for Algae and Bio-Based Products" webinar recording available on the EU4Algae YouTube playlist.
Additional information
Join the #EU4Algae conversation and keep an eye on the EU4Algae Forum to stay updated on ongoing activities, initiatives, and sector updates.
Got questions? Contact us at: contact
eu4algae [dot] eu (contact[at]eu4algae[dot]eu).